Deadlocking spring latch for doors



1950 c. ASPENWALL ET AL 2,517,373

DEADLOCKING SPRING LATCH FOR DOORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1946 c. ASPENWALL ET AL 2,517,378

DEADLOCKING smnc LATCH FOR DOORS Aug. 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. '7, 194a v 14 ovzey,

Fatented Aug. 1, 1950 2,517,373 DEADLOCKING SPRING LATCH FOR DOORS Carl Aspenwall, Chicago, 111., and Vene C. Smith and Willard Mathis, Terryville, Conn., assignors to The Eagle Lock Company, Terryville, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application February 7, 1946, Serial No. 646,090

r '7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved deadlocking spring latch for doors and has for one of its principal objects the provision of a manual locking latch means for doors which shall be particularly adapted for use with screen doors, but which may be advantageously employed on other doors, such as bathroom doors or any door construction, either interior or exterior.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide a locking latch for doors which will be simple of construction, readily and economically manufactured, easy of application, and which, when installed, will be satisfactory in operation and not likely to get out of order.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a locking latch for doors, particularly screen doors, which is so constructed that the door may be opened by, a simple push from the inside or a pull from the outside and which pulling or pushing operation can be accomplished by the use of only one hand or even a part of the body of the operator,

Another important object of the invention is to provide a locking latch for doors which, in addition to providing the push-pull opening feature,

can be readily locked from theinside by a single.

pulling movement on the inside. handle and which will remain in this locked positionuntil released by an ordinary push on the inside handle While at the same time assuring against any un-.

authorized release by pulling from the outside of the door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a" dead-locking spring latch for doors which is so constructed that it cannot be accidentally locked by slamming, or can the door assume a locked position by accidental closing if it happens that the bolt has been locked in door. locking position while the door is open. In other words, the user of the improved locking latch of this invention cannot be accidentally locked out.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and following specification. V A H V y The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings: Figure l is a front elevation of the improved dead-locking springlatch arrangement of this,

shown in Figure 1 illustrating, in addition, the three positions of the inside handle, namely, the

doorlocked, the door closed and the door opening position. The outside handle is illustrated in normal position in this figure. Figure 3 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view of the complete locking latch of this invention, showing the same in exploded relationship. Figure 5 is a detailed vertical sectional View of the assembled lock showing most of the essential details.

Figure 6 is a front view of the inner or attaching plate of the handle mounting.

Figure 7 is a rear view of the plate shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a plan view of one of the latch op: erating slides and whichslide also includes the locking element.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the companion latch slide element without the locking arrangement.

Figure 10 is a plan view of one of the pivoted levers which is actuated by the handle and operates the slides. i

As shown in the drawings: The reference numeral l2 indicates, generally,

the stile portion of a door to which the improved dead-locking spring latch element of this invention is applied. This door is fitted into a frame element or jamb M in the usual manner and a striker plate i6 is provided as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

like, 24. The handles and plates are ordinarily covered by suitable shrouds or escutcheon plates as illustrated at 26, which shrouds are themselves:

held in position by means of thescrews :24. Op-

crating means other than handles may be employed.

The shroud or escutcheon plate 26 is provided near its upper end with an inward projection 21 which is adapted to be hookedover acorresponding projection formed integral with the plate 22 adjacent its top, as best shown in Figures 5, 6 r and '7. After the shroud or escutcheon plat is hooked into position at the top it is then fastened at the bottom by means of a screw 2d which.

passesthrough aligned openings in the lower end of the shroud and in the lower portion of the.

plate 22.

Each of the plates 22 has a pair of integral outwardly extending lugs 28 fitted with openings for the reception of a hinge pin 30 which is passed through corresponding openings in juxtaposed portions of the handle element.

Each of the plates 22 i also provided with an annulus, preferably integral, as best shown at 43 in Figures-6 and 7, which annulus is adapted to fit into the respective end of the circular opening which is cut through the door [2 when the lock of this invention is installed. This acts to accurately position the plates 22 with respect to the door and with respect to each other and it will be noted that inside each of the annuli 43 is a longitudinal slot 45 which is for the reception and positioning of th transverse slide plates of Figures 8 and 9.

Each of the plates 22 also'h'as an integral outwardly extending ledge 32 having a slot therein for the reception of a T-shaped lever bar 34. The middle portion of this lever bar 34 is fitted through anotherslot formed in a web element 36 which forms .part of the handle it or 20, whereby when the handle is moved inwardly or outwardly the T-shaped lever bar 34 is likewise moved in the same direction but a correspondingly greater distance thereby affording a type of compound leverage.

'The upper end of each of the T-shaped lever bars 34 is provided with a protuberance 38 which faces inwardly, as best shown in Figure 5, and one end of a helical spring 40 is mounted on this protuberance, the other end of the spring being positioned .on a corresponding protuberance 42 formed in an adjacent portion of the .plate 22. This spring is of a sufficient tension so that the T-shaped lever bar 34 will at all times be maintainedin a normal tight relationship with regard to the associated parts of the handle and its supporting plate 22.

The-lower end of each of these T-shaped lever bars 34 is fitted into openings orslots in-the ends of bolt operating slides 44 and 46 as best shown inFig-ures 8 and 9 respectively.

These bolt operating slides 44 and 46 can be superimposed, either upon the other, when the lock is assembled, as best shown in Figure 5, and the slide 44 :is positioned with its slot 48 on the inside of the doorand with the open groove 58 toward the outside of the door. The slide '46 is positioned with its open groove 52 toward their!- side of the door and the closed slot 54 on the outside of the door. It will therefore be obvious that push 'or pull action on the outside handle 13 will move the slide 46 either inwardly or outwardly but that action of the handle 20 will enable a pushing movement only against this slide 46. No pull thereon can be exerted by the handle 20 or its T-shaped lever bar '34 on account of the fact that the open groove 52 is associated with the correspondinglower end of the lever bar 34.

-On the other hand the slide 44 can beeither pushed or'pulled by action of the inside handle 20 but can be pushed only by action of the outside handle l8.

Eachofithe slide elements 44 and 46 is provided witha central cam face 56 and 58 respectively, which cam faces are adapted to act against a'pin 60 rotatably mountedina slotted :openingformed in the retractable bolt 62. The pin =60 need not be :rotatable, but such mounting eliminatessome friction. In fact a roller may be employed.

The bolt 62 comprises essentially a, cylindrical element 'slidably mounted in a suitable tube 64, which tube is positioned in an opening provided therefor in the door I2. A helical spring 56 mounted behind the bolt 62 normally impels the same into the outermost and door locking posi tion. The outer end of the bolt 62 is beveled at 63 in the usual manner.

Mounted in a suitable opening in the rear end of the bolt 62 is -a locking pin H! which has a concave end, as best shown in Figure 4, and which terminates in a rear flange 12, this flange in turn butting against the adjacent face of the spring 56.

A locking lug 14 is formed integral with the bolt operating slide 44, as best shown in Figures 4 and 8 and is of such contour that its outer face will fit rather snugly into the concave recess in the end of the pin-10, when this slide element 44 is pulled into its innermost position, which position corresponds with the locking or full line p0 sition of the handle 20. as best shown in Figure 2. This locking position is also illustrated in Figure 8, whereinthe-inner face of the projection 14 embraces substantially of theperiphery of the bolt operating and locking pin 60 along its inner face and the outer face of the projection 14 is retained in the concave recess formed in the end of the-locking pin Ill. It will be obvious that in this position no outward pull of the outside door handle l8 will serve 'to release the lock because such outward pull will operate wonly against the -slide 46 and the action of the cam face 58 of this slide, while pushingagainst the pin :or roller '6l3, 'willnot serve to move itfrom the position in'which'it is held by the projection 74.

Accordingly theo-nly manner of releasingthis lock element-i'sby a epushlon the inner handled!) which firstmoves the projection put of the concave recess inthe pin 1E! and -also.:away :from its embracing relationship :with the pin or "roller 60 and then allows'thecam faces of the slides to act-against the pin or roller 60, retracting the bolt 62.

When the handle 20 is in the intermediate unlocked yet closed position shown in Figure 12, a pulling action against .the outer handle 18 will serve to release the bolt 62 and enable anopening "of .theidoor from the outside. This normal closed, yet unl'ocked '..position,-isrillustrated fin Figured.

The roller or pin; 60 has. a double function 1 in that it serves-to retract theebolt 2 by :the action of. theicamfa'ces :56 'and58 on said pin or rolier 66 and. when the locking slide 44 is pushed into bolt locking relationship as illustrated 'in Figure 8, the pin "or roller 60iorms-anactual'par-t of the locking iconstruction. The spring 66 also has two functions. in that it :acts against the retractable bolt 62 for releasably holding the door :in closed latched position and this spring '65 alse allows of a spring irnpelled movement of the locking pin 7-6 with its associated flange 12 whenever a locking movement or the slide 44 is accomplished. The pin 10 also -acts to prevent 'undesii able locking of the bolt '62 against retraction when the door is allowed to slam.

If it happens that the handle 28 is inadvertently pulled into bolt locking position while the door is :open' and then the door released and al.-

lowed to close it will not assume a closed locked position because the bolt 62 is then "dead-locked in its for-ward position-and even though its beveled face t8 strikes the striker plate it with con siderable "forceI-the bolt-will not be retra'cted,- so that the user of adoorequipped with this locking latch can i never under any circumstances become accidentally Ilocked out of the house. As hereinabove pointed out, slamming of the door cannot accidentally set the lock and inasmuch as a considerable pull on the handle is required for locking movement the door cannot be very well looked against the operators wishes, even though considerable force is used against the handle 28 for door closing operation. If, however, any difficulty is encountered in this connection, a recess, or recesses, may be provided in the sides of the shroud or escutcheon plate 26 for grasping by the thumb and first finger of the operator or an additional closing knob may be provided for pulling purposes, rather than the handle 20.

It will be seen that herein is provided a deadlocking spring latch for doors, particularly for screen doors, which is composed of a minimum of parts, most of which can be ordinary stampings and which while retaining all of the necessary principles of construction and operation can be made as simple or as ornate as desired. Furthermore, the device can be used equally well with either right or left hand doors by simply reversing the two slides 44 and 46 so that the cam faces act in reverse. When the device is used on an outside door it is well protected against the weather.

Furthermore, the opening or closing operation consists essentially of a very simple pulling or pushing movement as the case may be and the locking action from the inside is also accomplished by a very logical and natural pull against the corresponding handle. This locked position is also very readily released by a ver normal pushing action, which while being definitely effective from the inside at the same time, prevents any undesired unlocking operation or release from the outside of the door.

It will also be evident that the annular projections 43 on the plates 22 can be other than circular, as for example the same can comprise a plurality of inwardly struck lugs or any other elements Which will serve the purpose of centering the opening in the plate 22 with respect to the hole which has been preliminarily drilled through the door for lock installation purposes.

Obviously only two holes must be made in the door to insert the locking latch of this invention and the installation is simple and obvious. The slide plates 54 and 46 can be either above the other and turning the same over while keeping the cammed faces 56 and 58 in alignment will readily change the locking latch from a lefthand to a right-hand door, or vice versa.

We are aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and we, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A locking latch for doors including a retractable bolt, a roller in a slot in the bolt, cammed slides passing through the slot with their cammed faces adapted to operate against the roller, a locking projection on certain of the slides, means on both faces of the door for operating the cammed slides, the outer operating means adapted to move its cammed slide in a bolt retracting direction only, and the inner operating means adapted to move its cammed slide to both a bolt retracting and a bolt locking position, and a spring pressed locking pin slidably mounted in the inner end of the bolt for movement along the longitudinal axis of the bolt, the pin having 6, a depression in its end for cooperation. with the corresponding locking projection on a slide.

2. Alocking latch for doors including a spring pressed retractable bolt, a pin fixed in a slot adjacent the longitudinal axis of the bolt, a pair of cammed slides passing through the slot with their cammed faces adapted to operate against the pin, a locking projection on at least one of the slides, handle means pivoted on both faces of the door for operating the cammed slides, the

outer handle adapted to move its cammed slide.

in a bolt retracting direction only, and the inner handle adapted to move its cammed slide to both a bolt retracting and a bolt locking position, said cammed slide for the inner handle including an integral bolt locking projection and a spring pressed locking pin slidably mounted in the rear end of the bolt for limited movement along the longitudinal axis of the bolt, said pin having a depression in its outer end for cooperation with a corresponding locking projection on one of the slides.

3. A locking latch for doors including a spring pressed retractable bolt, a roller fixed in a slot adjacent the longitudinal axis of the bolt, a plurality of cammed slides passing transversely through the slot with the cammed faces intermediate their ends and adapted to operate against the roller, handle means pivoted on both faces of the door for operating the slides, the outer hand1e adapted to move it slide in a bolt retracting direction only, and the inner handle adapted to move its slide into both a bolt retracting and a bolt locking position, said slide for the inner handle including an integral bolt locking projection and a locking pin mounted in the inner end of the retractable bolt for cooperation with such projection.

4. A locking latch for doors including a retractable bolt, a spring behind the bolt, a pin fixed in a slot in the bolt, cammed slides passing through the slot with their faces adapted to operate against the pin to retract the bolt, one of said cammed slides including an integral bolt locking projection and a locking pin mounted in the inner end of the bolt against the spring for cooperation with such projection the said pin having a concave recess in its inner end for the reception of the correspondingly formed. portion of said locking projection.

5. A locking latch for doors including a retractable bolt, a spring therefor, a pin fixed in a slot adjacent the middle of the bolt, a pair of cammed slides passing through the slot with their cammed faces adapted to operate against the pin, handle means pivoted on both faces of the door for operating the cammed slides, the outer handle adapted to move its cammed slide in a bolt retracting direction only, and the inner handle adapted to move its cammed slide into both a bolt retracting and a bolt locking position, said cammed slide for the inner handle including an integral bolt locking projection, a pin mounted in the inner end of the bolt for cooperation with such projection, the said pin having a concave recess in its inner end for the reception of the correspondingly formed portion of said locking projection, said projection also including a semicircularly disposed extension of the cammed slide adapted to embrace the pin of the bolt when the slide is pulled into locking position.

6. A dead-locking spring latch for doors includ ing a retractable bolt, a plurality of cammed slides cooperating with the bolt, means for actuating the slides, means on one of the slides for locking the bolt against retraction, and a pin loosely mounted in the rear end of the bolt coopenating with the locking means on the slide.

'7. A- dead-locking spring latch for doors inoIuding' a retractable belt, a plurality of cammed slides cooperating with the bolt, means for actuating the slides, means on one of the slides-for locking the bolt against retraction, a locking pin lbose'ly'mounted in the rear end of the bolt cooperating with the locking means on one slide and a single spring acting against both the retractable bolt-and the lockingi'pin.

CARL ASPENWALL. VENE C. SMITH. WILLARD MATHIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 980,630 Granger Jan. 3, 191-1 9941800 Tremh'lay June 13, 1911 1,081,036 Grandits Dec. 9, 1913 1,196,064 Zbytniewski Aug.'29, 1916 1,209,924 Aekley Dec. 26, 1916' 2,383,574 Voight 1 1 Aug. 28, 1945* 

